Wire printer



E. JEDRZYKOWSKI CROP TREATING DEVICE Oct. 20, 1959 Filed Aug. 28, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 1 M w a M g 2:3 [fez A5165 Oct. 27, 1959 Filed Dec. 30,1954 WIRE SETTING BAIL 37 PRESET PRINT WIRES 36 PRINT HEAD 92 CODE ROD46 F. J.\ FURMAN E WIRE PRINTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS FRANK J.FURMAN OTTO F. MONEAGLE ROBERT V- SlMPSON $7 BY X AT TORNE Y UnitedStates Patent WIRE PRINTER Frank J. Furman and Otto F. Moneagle,Endicott, and

Robert V. Simpson, Oweg'o, N.Y., assignors to International BusinessMachines Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication December 30, 1954, Serial No. 478,650

14 Claims. (Cl. 101--93) This invention relates to wire printers andmore particularly to wire printers of the type in which the print endsof preset print wires are moved against recording material by a printhead secured to guide tubes for the print wires. Such printers effectwhat is generally termed front printing. A front printing wire printeris disclosed in the United States patent application, Serial No.384,697, of Reynold B. Johnson, filed October 7, 1953, now US. PatentNo. 2,785,627. In that wire printer, inertia slugs are attached to therespective print wires so that when the print ends of preset print wiresare made to undergo a printing stroke, a requisite energy level obtains,preventing too free an endwise movement of the wires undergoing impact.

It has been discovered that the requisite energy level may be attainedfor print wires during printing strokes with lighter inertia slugs thanheretofore utilized if an additional bend is provided in the guide tubescarrying the print wires to the print head. The printing that resultsfrom such a construction is superior even to that obtained with the wireprinter disclosed in the above identified application, evidently becauseit provides a greater resistance to longitudinal displacement at impacttime. At other times, because of the lower inertia level, it is easierto move the print wires, thus permitting of lighter construction andentailing lower energy consumption. All told, a wire printer constructedaccording to i the instant invention permits of higher printing speedsbecause the parts may be accelerated more rapidly.

Another advantage that obtains from the use of the instant invention isthat of visible printing in front wire printers. The additional bend inthe tubes conducting the print wires permits of horizontal printingstrokes,'thereby enabling an operator standing in front of the'machineto visually keep check of the printing as it takes place upon arecording material progressively moved upward past the print head.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in i th followingdescription and claims and illustrated in theac'companying drawings,which disclose, by way of examples, the principle of the invention andthe best mode which has been contemplated of applying that,

principle. l In the drawings: I r 1 [Fig 1' is a longitudinal verticalcross-section through an embodiment of the invention. a

. Fig. 2 isa chart depicting the timing of various elements of theembodiment disclosed in Fig. l. I

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the wire setting mechanism,generally indicated by the numeral 10, for the wire printer is shown asbeing mounted on a vertical plate 12. This plate is mounted in theprinter by a plurality of cross bars 14, 16, 18, and 20. It is seatedonbar 14 by means of a notch 22 and is held in spaced relation therealongbyacorhb 24. The other bars constitute guide bars and are respectivelyprovided with combs 26,28, and 30 to locate accurately the plate intransverse relation with respect to the printer.

2,909,994 Patented Oct. 27, 1959 ICC The lower ends of the plurality ofprint wire guide tubes 32 of the wire printing mechanism are anchored to,a vertical plate 34 fixed to the plate 12. The print wires 36 extendbeyond the anchored ends of the tubes and terminate in a wiresettingbail generally indicated by the numeral 37. This bail is formedof a back plate 38 to which is affixed a front plate 40, the formerofwhich is grooved to accommodate the wire setting or control ends of theprint wires 36 extending from the lower ends of the tubes. The frontplate 40 is provided with a plurality of fingers 42 which encompass acarrier tube 44 for a code rod 46 and hold it in vertically alignedgrooves formed in extensions or lugs 38a on the back plate 38.

The code rod, which is mounted in the carrier tube for rotational andendwise displacement, is biased upwardly to a normal position by atension spring 48. The lower end of the code rod is provided with a gear50 and a thrust washer. 52 by which rotation and endwise translation areimparted to the code rod to enable it to effect different characterpatterns on the print wires when moved thereagainst by the bail 37. i

The setting up of the print wires by engagement with the code rod'iseffected by moving the bail 37 by a continuous rotatable double cam 54.This cam, which is fixed upon a shaft 56 rotatably mounted in a honsing58 of the printer, simultaneously operates a pair of rocker arms 60respectively mounted on vertically-spaced, transversely-extending shafts62 carried by the housing 58. Each rocker arm carries on its free end aroller 64 which rides upon the surface of the cam. The roller is urgedto follow the contour of the cam through a spring 66 which acts upon avertically extending lug 68 formed on each rocker arm.

The rocker arm motion is imparted to the bail 37 through, a vertical arm70'affixed to each shaft 62. Each arm 70 is provided at its free endwith an adjustable screw 72 which engages a corresponding member 74slidably carried by a bar 75 fixed to the housing 58. When the cam 54imparts rotational movement to the rocker arms 60 against the bias ofthe respective springs 66, the arms 70 act through the screws 72 todisplace rearwardly the slide members 74 and in turn corresponding onesof the laterally-turned lugs 38a formed of the rear plate 38 of the wiresetting bail 37. This imparts a displacement to the ball 37, which isslidably mounted at its upper and lower ends upon the plate 12, againstthe action of tension spring 78 which coact between the plate 12 and theupper and lower ends of the bail. This movement of the bail issuflicient to bring the now positioned code rod 46 against the nowaligned ends of the print wires so that a selective longitudinaldisplacement is effected thereupon.

The surface of the cam 54 is such that the movement of the bail 37carrying the code rod against the print wire ends'is a sharp, forcefulone. Thereafter, the cam surfaces recede slowly underneath the rollers64 to allow the spring 78 to withdraw the code rod from the ends of theprint wires and permit longitudinal displacement of the preset printwires during a subsequent printing stroke.

After this printing stroke takes place, the preset print wires, eventhough they are partly restored by the printing impact, will be in adisplaced condition. To effect a full restoration and realignment of theprint wires, the rearward edge of the bail is cut away to form flanges80, and in between the flanges are located relatively low mass inertiaslugs 82 secured to the respective print wires 36. The'ends of theseslugs are headed at 82a and 82b, and the flanges extend between adjacentslugs so as to lie between the heads on each of the adjacent slugs. Therow of flanges is so located that when the cam 54 has rotated to whereits low dwells are opposite the rollers 64, the

fianges will, through the slugs 82 now acting as collets, have restoredthe print wires to the initial condition.

In order to prevent overthrow of the print Wires by a friction dragbetween the flanges 80 and the slugs 82 .to where. they would interferewith the. adjustment of the code rod 46, a stop bar 86 is mounted on theplate 12 to cooperate with the inertia slugs. This bar is in the path ofthe heads 82b on the rear ends 'of' the slugs and thus insures that noneof the wires will. be projecting into the code rod carrier tube when thecode rod is adjusted.

The print wire guide tubes 32 extend away from the plate 34in broadsweeping curves to where they are gathered together to form a cablegenerally indicated by the numeral 88. The cable is secured to the upperend of the plate 12 as by straps 90. Above the plate the cable is curvedso that the ends of the tubes extend horizontally into a print head 92to which they are affixed. Printing strokes are effected by this printhead, which is carried in a carriage 94 transversely adjustable on asupport 95, through a horizontal to'and fro movement. The tubesterminate in the print head so that the normal positions of the'print'ends of the print wires projecting from the tubes areapproximately flush with the print face of the print head. The printwires, which are preset to determine a character pattern, will thusproject from the face of the print head, and when the print headundergoes a printing stroke, they may strike a ribbon 96 disposed infront of a paper 98 on a'platen 100 to impress a character.

The reciprocation of the print head upon the carriage 94 is effectedthrough a drive wire 102 mounted in a guide tube 104. This tube is fixedat one end to the carriage and at its other end to a removable piece 105fastened to a housing 106 secured in the framework of the printer; (Theflexible tube 104 and wire 102 accommodate lateral adjustment of theprint head carriage 94 in the printer.) The rear end of the print headdrive wire is pivotally connected to the upstanding arm 108a of a bellcrank, generally indicated by the numeral 108, rotatably mounted on ashaft 110 carried by depending arms 106a of the housing 106. A spring112, coacting between the vertical arm 108a and an anchor plate 114fixed to the housing 106, biases the rocker arm 108 counterclockwise, asseen in Fig. 1', to where a roller 116 carried on the free end of ahorizontally extending arm of the bell crank rests on the surface of acam 118. This cam has a high dwell formed with a depression into whichthe roller 116 drops when the depression comes opposite it; because ofthe spring 112 there is then imparted to the bell crank a sharpcounterclockwise movement which thrusts the drive wire through the tubeto force the print head to undergo a printing stroke. Almost immediatelythe end of the depression in the cam forces the bell crank clockwise towithdraw the drive wire through the tube and the print head back tonormal position. Thus, a sharp printing stroke of uniform intensity isalways obtained.

It should be observed that the printing stroke is accommodated almostentirely by the curve forrned'in the upper end of the cable 88. Thus,and particularly since the axis of the straight portion of the cable isat right angles to the thrust of the print head, a considerableresistance to longitudinal displacement of the preset print wires uponprinting impact is obtained over and above that obtaining from the useof the inertia slugs 82. This apparently is because the print wiresarestrongly forced against the inside walls of the tubes upon impact, andsince friction between two bodies is proportional to the forces normalto the engaging surfaces, it can be seen that there results at themoment of printing impact a momentary high resistance to endwisedisplacement of the preset wires forming the character impression.

The operation of the printer will be described with reference to thetiming chart of Fig. 2. In this timing chart, the starting point of acycle has beenarbitra'rily chosen as that at which the cam 54 begins tomove the wire setting bail 37 laterally to bring the already set up coderod 46 against the prealigned control ends of the print wires 36. Asshown, the displacement of the wire setting bail may reach a maximum at108 cycle time. When the bail has completed part of this displacement,for example, at 65 of cycle time, it may engage the ends of the selectedprint wires to begin their longitudinal displacement with respect to theremaining print wires. This relative displacement would also becompleted at 108 of cycle time. The bail 37 immediately begins torecede, and after a suflicient distance has been created between theends of the selected or preest print wires and the code rod 46, theprint head may be made to undergo a printing stroke. This may occurbetween 118 and 223 degrees of cycle time, printing actually takingplace at about 158. A partial restoration of the preset print wires willoccur as a result of the printing impact. Immediately after the'printingimpact, however, the. heads 82a on the forward ends of the inertia slugs82 on the print wires will be engaged by the laterally turned flangesformed on the rear end of the wire setting bail 37. This engagement mayoccur around 164 of cycle time, and the bail would fully restore theends of all the print wires to an aligned condition by 216 of cycletime. Between 290 and the end of the cycle, the code rod 46, whichrestored between 221 and 290, could be adjusted to a' new setting.Succeeding cycles would be'efiected in the same manner until all of theavailable data had been printed.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferredembodiment, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in theart, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is theintention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope ofthe following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires, supportmeans for guiding the print wires first in one curve and then in asecond curve to terminal positions opposite said platen, means foreffecting selective longitudinal displacement of the print wires topreset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwisemovement thereof, and. other means for effecting relative movementbetween the end of the displaced print wires opposite said platen andsaid platen in the longitudinal direction of said ends to obtain aprinting stroke, the two curves in said support means providingresistance to endwise displacement of said print wires suflicient toenable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printingimpact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

2. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires, means foreffecting selective longitudinal displacement of-the print wires topreset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwisemovement thereof, means for supporting one end of each wire adjacentsaid means and guiding the wire first in one curve and then in a secondcurve to dispose its print end opposite said platen, and other means foreffecting relative movement between the print ends of displaced printwires and the platen in the longitudinal direction of said ends toobtain printing impact, the two curves in the guiding means providingresistance to endwise displacement of the print wires suflicient toenable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printingimpact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

. 3. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires,individual tubes curved first in one direction and then in another forguiding the respective print wires to terminal positions opposite saidplaten, means for'etfectmg selectivt= lQ fl qi ll di placement of saidprint wires to preset them and thereafterbeing inoperative to restrainendwise movement thereof, and other means for effecting relativemovement between the ends of the displaced print wires opposite saidplaten and said platen in the longitudinal direction of said ends so asto obtain a printing stroke, the two curves in the tubes providingresistance to endwise displacement of the print wires suflicient toenable printing impact while permitting endwise displacement on printingimpact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

4. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires, means foreffecting selective longitudinal displacement of said print wires topreset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain end-wisemovement thereof, individual tubes curved first in one direction andthen in another guiding the respective print wires and disposing theirprint ends opposite said platen and their other ends adjacent saidmeans, and other means for effecting relative movement between the printends of displaced print wires and said platen in the longitudinaldirection of said ends to obtain printing impact, the two curves in thetubes providing resistance to endwise displacement of the print wiressufficient to enable printing impact while permitting endwisedisplacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot patternis obtained.

5. In a wire printer having a platen, a plurality of print wiresrespectively bearing inertia slugs, means for effecting selectivelongitudinal displacement of said print wires to preset them andthereafter being inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof,individual tubes curved first in one direction and then in a seconddirection guiding the respective print wires from said wire settingmechanism to a position in front of said platen, and other means foreffecting relative movement between said platen and the ends of saidprint wires in front of it in the longitudinal direction of said ends toobtain printing impact, the two curves in the tubes providing resistanceto endwise displacement of the print wires suflicient to enable printingimpact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so thata uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

6. In a Wire printer having a platen, a plurality of print wiresrespectively bearing collets, first means for effecting selectivelongitudinal displacement of said print wires, to preset them andthereafter being inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof,individual tubes curved first in one direction and then in a seconddirection guiding the respective print wires from said wire settingmechanism to a position in front of said platen, second means foreffecting relative movement between said platen and the ends of saidprint wires in front of it in the longitudinal direction of said ends toobtain printing impact, the two curves in the tubes providing resistanceto endwise displacement of the print wires sufficient to enable printingimpact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so thata uniform component dot pattern is obtained, and means engageable withthe collets on the wires after printing impact to realign the printwires for displacement by the first means.

7. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires, means forimparting a selective longitudinal displacement to said print wires topreset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwisemovement thereof, individual tubes curved first in one direction andthereafter in another direction to guide the respective print wires fromsaid means to a position in front of said platen, and means afiixed tothe ends of said tubes adjacent said platen to move them toward and awayfrom said platen in the' longitudinal direction of said ends so that theselectively displaced print wires undergo printing impact therewith, thetwo curves in the tubes providing resistance to endwise displacement ofthe print wires sufiicient to enable printing impact while permittingendwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dotpattern is obtained.

8. In a printer having a platen, a plurality ofprint wires, means forimparting a selective longitudinal dis-.

placement to said print wires to preset them and thereafter beinginoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof, individual tubescurved first in one direction and thereafter in a horizontal directionto guide the respective print wires .from said means to a position infront of said platen, and means afiixed to the ends of said tubesadjacent said platen to move them horizontally toward and away from saidplaten so that the selectively displaced print wires undergo printingimpact therewith, the two curves in the tubes providing resistance toendwise displacement of the print wires sufficient to enable printingimpact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so thata uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

9. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires, individualtubes curved first in one direction and thereafter in another directionguiding the respective print wires, said tubes being gathered togetherto form a cable between the first and the second curves and being fixedto a support thereat, means operable upon one end of each of said printwires to impart selective longitudinal displacement thereto to presetthem and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwise movementthereof, and means disposed in front of said platen and carrying the endof-the cable of tubes towards and awayfrom the platen in thelongitudinal direction of said ends so that the selectively displacedprint wires undergo printing impact, the two curves in the tubesproviding resistance to endwise displacement of the print wiressuificient to enable printing impact while permitting endwisedisplacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dot patternis obtained.

10. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires, individualtubes curved first in one direction and thereafter in a horizontaldirection guiding the respective print wires, said tubes being gatheredtogether to form a cable between the first and the second curves andbeing fixed to a support thereat, means operable upon one end of each ofsaid print wires to impart selective longitudinal displacement theretoto preset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwisemovement thereof, and means disposed in front of said platen andcarrying the end of the cable of tubes horizontally towards and awayfrom the platen so that the selectively displaced print wires undergoprinting impact, the two curves in the tubes providing resistance toendwise displacement of the print wires sufiicient to enable printingimpact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so thata uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

11. In a wire printer having a platen, a print head movable towards andaway from said platen, a plurality of guide tubes affixed at one end tosaid print head so as to lie in the direction of said platen andextending therefrom first in one curve and thereafter in other curves, aprint wire disposed in each of said guide tubes and projecting from therespective ends thereof, means operable upon the ends of the print wiresextending from the other ends of the tubes to impart selectivelongitudinal displacement thereto and so that the print ends thereofproject beyond the face of said print head to preset them and thereafterbeing inoperative to restrain endwise movement thereof, and meansoperable thereafter to move said print head towards and away from saidplaten so that the selectively displaced print wires undergo printingimpact therewith, the two curves in the guide tubes providing resistanceto endwise displacement of the print wires suflicient to enable printingimpact while permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so thata uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

12. In a wire printer having a platen, a print head s as to lie in thedirection of said platen movable towards and away from said platen,.aplurality of guide tubes affixed at one end to said print head andextending therefrom first in a downwardly sweeping curve and thereafterin horizontally sweepingcurves, a print wire disposed in each of saidguide. tubes and projecting from the respective ends thereof, firstmeans operable upon the ends of the print wires extending from the otherends of the tubesto impart selective longitudinal displacement theretoand so. that the print ends thereof project beyond the face of saidprint head to preset them and thereafter beinginoperative. to restrainendwise movement thereof, second; means operable thereafter to move saidprint head towards and. away from said platen so that the selectivelydisplaced print wires undergo printing impact therewith, the two curvesin the guide tubes providing resistance to endwise displacement of theprint wires suflicient to enable printing impact while permittingendwise displacement on printing impact so that a uniform component dotpattern is obtained, a collet on each wire between'the end of therespective tube and the first means, and means operable after eachprinting impact to realign the print wires by displacement by the firstmeans.

.13. In a printer having a platen, a plurality of print wires,'supportmeans for guiding the print wires first in one curve and then in asecond curve to terminal positions opposite said platen, means forselectively efiecting relative longitudinal displacement of the printwires to .form desired character patterns at the terminal positions topreset them and thereafter being inoperative to restrain endwisemovement thereof, and other means for effecting relative movementbetween the ends of the print wires forming the desired characterpattern and said .platen in the longitudinal direction of said ends toobtain printing impact, the two curves in said support means providingresistance to endwise displacementof said print wires sufiicient toenable printing impact while permitting endwisei displacement on.printing impact so that a uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

- 14 In a printer having. a platen, aprint head movable towards and awayfrom said platen, flexible guide means affixed at one end to said printhead so as to lie in the direction of said platen and extendingtherefrom first in one curve and thereafter in a second curve, printwires slidably supported by said flexible guide means, means forselectively effecting relative longitudinal displacement of the printwires to form desired character patterns upon ends thereof projectingfrom said print head to preset them and thereafter being inoperative torestrain endwise movement thereof, and means operable to move said printhead towards and away from said platen so that the ends of the printwires forming a desired character pattern undergo printing impacttherewith, the two curves in said guide means providing resistance toendwise displacement of said print wires sufiicient to enable printingimpact While permitting endwise displacement on printing impact so thata uniform component dot pattern is obtained.

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